Saturday, July 21, 2012

I have a bikini fetish! With a bikini for everyday of the week and
some... I consider myself a bikini lover! So one can understand my
excitement when I stumbled across the 'Bikini Lover' collection.
Creating beautiful bikinis inspired by the islands, it was great to find
a duo doing just that. A mutual love of all things Hawaiiana bought
Heidi Bartholomew and Daniella Ciano together to create the Bikini Lover
collection, both are veterans of the swimwear and surf industry trade
and their lifestyles are inspired by the beach and surfing cultures.

The bikini lover story began with years of travels to the islands of
Polynesia... the colourful art and attire of the locals, their laidback
and simple life attitude, the treasure hunting of island op shops and
vintage stores all became the inspiration to create and share the spirit
of Aloha through the Bikini Lover collection. So for the independent
ladies out there, every Bikini Lover creation is part of strictly
limited fabric print runs so you won't see your bikini walking up the
beach. The bikinis are made out of 100% cotton and have the lure of the
beach.

Q & A with Heidi Bartholomew...

We have talked about that you organically found vintage Hawaiian
prints in op-shops... do you recycle fabric or do you print your own
fabrics?
Daniella and I have worked together for around 12 years at Billabong
(I retired last year and Daniella is still there) and we connected over
our Love of all things Hawaiiana. We separately have been collecting
fabrics, vintage clothing and other treasures for so many years and have
travelled to Hawaii over 20 times!When we came up with the idea of
bikini lover , we pulled all our beloved fabrics and clothing out
(original Hawaiian mu mus as well) and realised we had the most amazing
collection! To then make the decision to cut it up, turn it all into
bikinis and share this was a big one but the sentiment was so in keeping
with our motto of sharing the Aloha spirit.We don’t print any of
our fabrics, just too expensive at this stage and not what we are
inspired by. The idea of true treasure hunting and finding fabrics is
all part of the bikini lover experience!

How are the two of you connected to the Ocean and do you surf?

I personally have grown up surfing and beaching for most of my life,
our family lived in every beach suburb from Rainbow Bay to Surfers
Paradise so surfing and beaching went hand in hand with everyday life. Daniella
grew up in Sydney and became enchanted with the beach at a young age ,
while not a surfer, she has an admiration and love for the surfing
lifestyle and lives her life around the beach and all that goes with it.

Any formal design experience or training?

For myself no formal fashion education but my experience and
understanding of the beach culture lifestyle was my ticket to a career
in the surfing industry. My experience began with media and coordination
of various surfing events which led me to a position at Cheetah
Swimwear followed by an 18 year career at Billabong founding the Girls
business with Gordon and Rena Merchant. Daniella has completed a
Fashion Design , Patternmaking and Illustration certificate at East
Sydney and Randwick Tafes, this led her to a design position at Seafolly
which ultimately led her to Billabong. Daniella also had a very
successful fashion label called Funky Threads which at one stage was
stocked in around 50 stores nationally including SDS and general pants.
Her first love is designing bikinis!

Why do you use 100% cotton?

The idea behind the 100% Cotton comes from the authenticity of first
bikinis that were made from Cotton, there is just something a bit more
precious about a cotton bikini. There is also that point of difference
in that it feels different to wear , is a little kinder on the skin and
that you are part of a whole new experience, a ‘back in the day’
retrospective , we hear stories of Mums telling their own cotton bikini
stories to their daughters etc. It’s a cool sharing experience as well.
There is also the way the Hawaiian prints and colours come out on cotton
that you just don’t get on lycra.

I would love to hear a story that is associated with a print?

The Tiki Hut print, a massive piece of fabric collected around 16
years ago, actually in California, it is a beautiful print with rich
greens and browns and very authentic Hawaiian style . Up until it was
cut into teeny bikini pieces it was our family table cloth every
Christmas! Sad to say goodbye to it as it is never to be found again!In true Aloha spirit it is now being shared and loved.

Mahalo...

Words by Narani Henson

Narani Henson in Byron Bay
" My love for the ocean was installed at a young age. Surfing and my
art is something that I can lose myself in, what can I say its good for
my soul". Narani Henson has a diploma of Fine Arts from Meadowbank TAFE
and a bachelor of Fine Arts from Curtin University.www.naranihenson.comGoogle+redbubblefacebook

Lisa Burke is the water woman behind 'Lisa Blue' swimwear, with
designs that are inspired by our Australian Aboriginal culture and fine
art. Lisa Blue represents the girl of the future who can be sexy,
beautiful, powerful and environmentally aware at the same time. Lisa
talks candidly with Surf Sister about some intimate moments of her life.
From human tragedy to overwhelming love and joy for the ocean and it's
animals.

Can you tell us a bit about your history and how you came to be the water woman you are today?

I think it is fair to say that I have taken the road less travelled.
After I completed my University Bachelor of Arts degree in Melbourne at
22 years old I ventured out into the big wide world. Disillusioned with
the values of Western society I set off to Japan. I lived in a remote
fishing village in the south of Japan running an English school for
several months.

My next stop was to change my life forever - India. When I landed in
India I had a feeling like I had come home. I felt like I had travelled
through a time tunnel and landed in biblical times. I fell in love with
India so much so that I thought I would spend the rest of my life
living there. I lived in a mud hut in the mountains in the south of
India in one of the most beautiful places on earth. Behind my dwelling
was a 9000 feet drop overlooking the most breathtaking views of endless
jungle. My hut was a 15 km walk through the forest to the village. I
had no running water, often no electricity and apart from the Indian
family whom I rented the hut from I was totally isolated.

Life was very basic and my days were filled with living simply. To
take a shower meant fetching buckets of water and carrying them up the
hill for half a kilometer. Everything I ate was so pure and fresh. I
was given a monkey whose mother was killed by dogs and brought a race
horse from Madras. I had the most amazing adventures living here - I
encountered a tiger alone one time when I was deep in the jungle. My
first born child came from this chapter of my life. My very handsome
half Indian son is now an 18 year old. When my son was a toddler we
returned to Australia. Whilst I was away my Indian husband died in an
accident and I was never to return to my beautiful India. A part of me
had died and for a long time I felt a deep grief.

My little boy and I resided in the country Victoria, Australia and I
pursued different careers - worked in varied roles at a residential
meditation retreat for cancer patients, ran a horse trail riding
business, studied business and more. After the birth of my second son I
moved with my sons to a warmer climate by the sea to the Northern New
South Whales pretty coastal town Byron Bay. I raised my two boys alone
and studied a lot of alternative therapies and completed a Kinesiology
degree. And then I discovered my passion for surfing. For several years I
had lived with grief and there was not a day I did not miss my life in
India. It was surfing that changed everything for me!

The ocean started to heal my heart. Out on my surf board I was often
surrounded by dolphins and I would spend hours with them. I could not
get enough of this and when I saw a little two line advertisement in the
local paper 'Swim with whales in Tonga' I became very excited. I took
my first born son, whom was 10 years old at the time, to Tonga with the
sole purpose to swim with humpback whales. I came face to face with
these 15 meters, 20 tonne, gentle, ancient giants of the ocean. No words
can describe this experience...The mother and baby whale approached me.
The baby came so close to me as though to touch me that I backed up.
The eyes, only a foot away, looked straight into my soul. My heart burst
open. In that moment I promised that I would do what I could to help
protect them and their environment. In spite of the history of humans
killing these angelic beings they look at us with such immense
unconditional love.
Two years later, in Byron Bay, after I had been ill for several
months and so had not been in the water, I decided to paddle out on my
surf board to get a closer look at the migrating whales. I paddled out
about 2 km and at that point could see the whales breaching a couple of
km away. From my heart I began to call the whales. I longed to be close
to them. After about an hour of being out there I decided that I was
kidding myself and began to head back to shore. I turned to paddle and
wondered how on earth I got out so far. After several strokes I stopped
to rest. And for some reason I turned my head around. About 3 meters
from me a whale surfaced and looked me directly in the eye. I screamed
with joy! An eagle circled above and a stingray appeared also. I was so
elated I powered back to shore. I got my sign! I remembered my promise.
It was time to take action!

I decided to not give into my illness and I flew to Bali to
surf. After having surfed two seasons in Oz I felt I was ready for
Bali. I was dropped off by a canoe 2 km into the ocean (high tide) at a
reef break, named Airport Middles, to be faced with 15 foot waves. I
was shaking with fear and excitement. I managed to ride a ten footer
and then got ‘majorly’ wiped out. It felt like I was under water
forever. No wonder there were only five blokes out there. It was on of
the greatest moments of my life. And the fact that I was a 37 year old,
single mother beginner was sensational. That day I felt I could do
anything. I thought about my promise to the baby whale. Sitting out on
my board in the ocean I pondered– “Surfing, fashion, whales, dolphins,
swimwear, modeling…”...Hence began my plan to create a swimwear label
that could help protect the whales and the dolphins. From the Blue was
born my dream...

One of our pro female surfers in Byron told me that
the greatest female surfer in the world will be the girl who can surf
the big waves and be feminine and sexy at the same time.

What does surfing mean to you personally?

I see 'surfing' as a metaphor for life. 'Lisa Blue' represents the
girl of the future who can be sexy, beautiful, powerful and
environmentally aware at the same time. She is not afraid to share her
beauty with the world and so shows other girls that they too can shine.
If had time I would do many water sports but I do make time to swim in
the ocean as much as possible. I live next to the beach and my dogs love
the beach too.

What inspires you when creating new bikini designs?

Every year I travel to Bali to surf and design. It is there that I
connect with my creative spirit and start to channel my ideas. Plus I am
strongly and passionately inspired by our Australian Aboriginal
culture. Once again, for the 2012 range, I have been inspired by a
stunning Australian Aboriginal dot painting. The artist, Rosie Miller,
is from the Whale tribe (Mirning tribe) in South Australia and is a
strong supporter of the Lisa Blue campaign - help towards marine life
conservation. I have created 3 very different tribal prints for the new
collection ranging from an earthy tribal print to a glamorous gold
flecked version.I draw from my life experiences and my passions when
I create my range. I love art. For the Divinity story in the 2012
collection I have placed paintings from the Romantic Era on the swimwear
which reflects my love for the masterpieces from the old world. My passion
for the whales is also the inspiration behind the Galactic stories for
the 2012 collection. In mythology it is said that the whales and
dolphins came from the stars and their magic stems from other worlds. As
I have swum up close and personal to whales and dolphins I have
experienced their power, which is beyond words. The Galactic theme ties
in with this mythology. Metallic gold and silver panels on matte black,
smoky grey and a deep, vibrant purple depict the Galactic theme in
intricate 'sci-fi' looking cuts with gold and silver studs to add an
edgy but glamorous touch to the Galactic Warrior.Any business advise for our readers who want to start their own business?

In fashion, whilst it is essential to keep an eye on the trends, I
believe it is important to follow one's heart and one's dreams. This
aspect of design manifests a strong point of difference. People are
always looking for something new and unique. Having said this one must
create a fine balance between creativity and the commercial needs.
Determination, hard work and long hours are required in starting your
own business. Plus getting a good team is essential. The most
challenging part of running my own business is to keep a balanced life
style. As a single mum I have had to force myself to know when to stop.
In the beginning I worked non stop. This lead to health issues and angry
kids. Now I try not to lose sight of the big picture and take time
out...This is an ongoing challenge.

Golden Eve Story. Lisa and Kizzie Flanagan

Divinity story inspired from John Waterhouse's painting 1901 called 'The Mermaid'